ORGANIC watchdog the Soil Association has fallen foul of the conventional arable sector by calling on UK breadmakers and supermarkets to avoid using crops that have been treated with glyphosate. 
With wheat harvests due to begin in the next few weeks, the Soil Association pointedly thrust the issue of pesticide residues back into the public spotlight by asking bread companies to end the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant in their supply chains. 
Following the delayed re-authorisation of the chemical, in a political process fraught with claim and counter-claim about its safety, the EU has advised that glyphosate's use as a pre-harvest spray on food crops should be restricted, but has left it up to individual member states to decide if they want to implement this or not.
Writing to the breadmakers, SA policy chief Peter Melchett said: "In view of the controversy surrounding the safety of glyphosate, the Soil Association is calling again for bread manufacturers and flour millers to insist on a glyphosate-free supply of UK cereals destined for human consumption, as there is still time to achieve this before this year's harvest begins.
"For users of UK flour, the key step must be to ban the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant on crops due to enter the human food chain, to prevent the powerful weed-killer being sprayed on food crops just before they are harvested. As you know, a ban on pre-harvest use of glyphosate on wheat destined for bread has been the focus of our Not in Our Bread Campaign. 
"In light of mounting evidence that has found glyphosate is not the benign chemical that you were led to believe, the Soil Association believes all these conditions must be implemented as soon as possible."
The organic lobby's attempt to reignite public concern over glyphosate was slammed by the Crop Protection Association, with chief executive Nick von Westenholz stating: "It is disappointing to see the Soil Association once again ignoring the science and resorting to fear-mongering about a practice which is safe. 
"Pre-harvest use of glyphosate helps to control weeds, dry out the crop and promote ripening. This is good agricultural practice that reduces crop losses, enhances the quality of the grain and helps farmers harvest.
“UK farmers ensure that residues are minimised," insisted Mr von Westenholz. 
"The government’s most recent pesticide monitoring programme found that in 2015, none of the bread products it tested contained glyphosate residues above the maximum level permitted and therefore would pose no risk to public health. Even if residues were at the maximum levels permitted, you would still have to eat 9000 loaves of bread per day to have any risk of a negative health impact.”
Speaking for NFU Scotland, deputy policy director Andrew Bauer said: "Pre-harvest use of glyphosate is regulated and safe. Whilst NFUS is confident that retailers and bread manufacturers understand this and will act accordingly, it is disappointed with the Soil Association's mischief-making."